Advertising with Drones!

Drones offer a new perspective on real estate marketing, literally.When we think of drones many things come to mind. Whether it’s the military’s use of these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) or the image of Amazon dropping packages at your door, drone technology is here to stay. And in a technology friendly business like real estate it only makes sense that UAV’s should play a pivotal role. If you’re already imagining the views of those luxury properties from on high, here are some of the possibilities and some of obstacles to incorporating drones into your marketing.

Cost: Radio controlled drones weighing 4.4-pound with four spinning propeller blades capable of carrying a video camera can run anywhere from $2,000 – $5,000.

Control: Navigating a drone takes considerable skill, so you’ll want to hire a pro to navigate it. You can expect to pay a licensed professional anywhere from $350 to $500. In the long run it’s more cost effective and much safer than doing it yourself.

Risks: No matter how skilled your professional pilot might be, there are still risks involved when it comes to using drones. Before you take off, you’ll want to be sure you have insurance in place in case of unforeseen property damage, as well as damage to the drone itself.

Be proactive: Be sure to notify local law enforcement and surrounding neighbors before you take to the sky.

Where to start: In late summer of 2016 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the use of drones for commercial use and removed a restriction that mandated a full FAA pilot’s license replacing it with $150 drone license. Check out the National Association of Realtors drone resource page for FAQ’s, timeline and political advocacy resources.

Drones, like other new technologies will continue to drop in price as demand increases. While it is true that drones will first be employed to highlight and promote luxury properties, they will no doubt become more main stream as costs come down. More than anything, a drone is an excellent differentiator, giving prospective buyers a bird’s eye view of the house, the property and the neighborhood.

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